Daine and Numair
by Keladry of Mindelan
Summary: Daine is invited to Cathak by Kaddar. Numair goes with.
1. The invitation

New fic! If you haven't read my Kel fic, then you don't know about my thoughts. I am a simple person and I only so text files cuz they are the only ones that seem to work. So I cant do italics for thoughts. My thoughts will be like this…Mike is so hott [He he Mads.] Oh, and when the animals talk to Daine, its like this… ~Hi Daine!~ Well, on to the show!  
  
Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Tamora Pierce. Nuff said! This disclaimer will carry through the entire story…kay?  
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Daine was shocked when a swallow flew through the window and dropped a letter in her lap. ~I brought you something special!~ he said proudly. She stroked his head as she read the letter. It was from Kaddar! He wanted her to come visit!  
  
Daine reread the letter once again,  
  
My Dearest Daine,  
It has come to my attention that we have not seen each other for two years! I am extending an invitation for you to come to Carthak. Please accept my invitation. I miss you!  
  
The rest of the letter was information about the goings on in the new palace. Daine stood up and knocked on the door of Numair's workroom. The door opened and she found herself lifted off her feet in a bear hug.   
  
"Hello Numair?" She laughed. "Been having a nice day?"  
  
"Very much so, sweetling." He suddenly kissed her with all the passion that had built up over the day. Diane's head was still spinning as she handed him the letter.   
  
"Read the first paragraph." Numair's eyes scanned the letter and Daine watched his features twist into a look of scorn. "What's wrong?" she asked, worried.   
  
"Oh, its nothing. We best go tell Jon that we want to go."  
  
"Alright, good, I was hoping you would want to come." She smiled up at him. He grinned and put his arm around her waist, but his smile faded when she wasn't looking.   
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A starling had come to Daine while she was on the way to Jon's office with Numair. The starling said her mate was in trouble and asked if Daine would help. Numair agreed to go to the king alone and Daine had jogged off to the forest.   
  
Numair was now in Jon's office arguing with the king. "But Jon, you read the letter. He sounds like a lovesick puppy, not a friend! 'My dearest Daine' and, 'I miss you!'"  
  
"Of course Numair, but what if I need my best mage?"  
  
"I'm worried about Kaddar's intentions. I can't let Daine go alone!"  
The king pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "I can't believe I am saying this, but go. You're right about the letter. It just doesn't sound right. There is a boat leaving for Carthak in four days. I will book passage for you and Daine."  
  
Numair jumped up out of his chair. "Thank you Jon, this is important to me."  
  
The king just nodded and grinned as Numair left his office.   
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Ten days later Numair and Daine were nearing the end of their journey on a boat to Carthak. Daine had already greeted a vast majority of the mice, and was now meeting the few dogs that were on board. Numair was lying on his bed watching her. He knew this was the Daine he loved, the one who would put an animal's life before her own.   
  
Daine finished greeting the animals and went to Numair, lying on the bed next to him. He put his arm around her, pulling her close. She had her own bed, of course. It would have seemed strange if the only had one; being unmarried, and they had decided that they did not want to attract attention on this trip.  
  
A few minutes later Numair looked down at Daine and saw that she was asleep. He silently slipped off her shoes and covered her with a spare blanket. He smiled down at her sleeping form and kissed her softly before changing into his pajamas. He snuffed the candle and climbed into bed and fell asleep thinking of Daine.   
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Daine couldn't move. She watched as Numair kissed one of the fair ladys from Carthak. When they broke the kiss, the woman smiled venomously at Daine over Numair's shoulder. Suddenly, Tristan Stagehorn ran at Numair and threw some sort of spell at him. There was a battle, and it ended in Numair being turned into a tree.   
  
"No, Numair!" Daine Screamed. "Noooo!"  
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Numair was instantly awake and at Daine's bedside at the sound of her scream. He hugged her fiercely and she awoke, crying into his shoulder.   
  
"I wont let him turn you into a tree." She murmured once she had calmed down.   
  
"I know magelet. It's ok now." He cooed, rocking her back and forth.   
  
"Numair, will you stay with me?" She asked pleadingly. He nodded and climbed into her bed, holding her close and whispering reassurances. She snuggled against his chest and drifted off to sleep, unable to keep the image of the lady from her dream out of her mind.   
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Numair woke the next morning and got dressed. He was walking out the door just as the one of the men yelled, "Land ho!" Numair went back inside the room to wake Daine. When he shook her he found his arm being pulled. Daine had been awake the whole time. He sat on the bed next to her and said, "Were nearly there."  
  
She ignored his last statement. "You left," she complained, wrapping her arm around his wrist and pulling him down on the bed next to her.   
  
"Daine! Did you hear me? Were almost there!"  
  
She also refused to respond to this and forced him to put his arms around her, snuggling into his chest. He sighed into her hair and said again, "We have to get packed. It's time to go." He started to stand but Daine clung to him, not permitting him to go. She then kissed him thoroughly and snuggled in again.   
  
Numair couldn't help but laugh at Daine's antics and held her for a minute before eventually standing up. He grabbed a pitcher of water that was on the table between the beds and sprinkled a little on her face. When she only wrinkled her nose, he warned, "If you don't wake up I will dump it all…"  
  
"You wouldn't." Was her fully awake reply.  
  
"Oh but I would." He laughed as she sat up.   
  
"You're a meanie."  
  
"That I am." He said, grinning. Daine got up in a huff and stomped into the small adjourning privy, only to come back out moments later.   
  
"I forgot clothes," she mumbled as Numair laughed.   
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Daine and Numair arrived on the deck after they had dressed in their finest for the emperors welcome. They were royal guests and would have to sit through the same long, boring welcome that they had received the last time they came to Carthak. Daine sighed as they neared the land and Numair, realizing what prompted her sigh, squeezed her hand.  
  
"It's not that bad," he reassured her.   
  
"I know, normally I don't mind, I just want to catch up on things with Kaddar." Numair's heart skipped a beat. He is her age. Maybe she… No Numair! Don't let those court idiots ruin your love for Daine! You are not to old for her. 16-year-old girls are made to marry 40-year-old men. That's much more of a difference than Daine and I. Numair was startled out of his thoughts as the big boat jarred into the large dock. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
Daine yawned just as the Harold called her, Numair and Kitten's name. They stepped forward and bowed to Kaddar. He greeted them and they stepped aside as the rest of the people from the boat were introduced. When all the formalities were through, Kaddar jogged over and hugged Daine while Numair stood by, eyebrows raised.  
  
"You're finally here!" he said as Numair stepped toward Daine and put a protective arm around her shoulders. She leaned on him and he noticed that Kaddar's face had hardened into a look of jealousy. Numair grinned triumphantly to himself. Numair: 1, Kaddar: the big zippo.   
  
When everyone was off the boar Kaddar led Daine and Numair to their rooms in the new palace. Numair and Daine noticed a problem when they saw that two rooms had been set up for them. Oh well, its probably for the best Daine thought. Numair, on the other hand, was not going to let Kaddar get this point from him. He cleared his throat and said, "Daine and I will only need one room."  
  
Kaddar glared at him. "Very well. Pick your room. I will be back once you are settled." He walked away down the corridor and Daine and Numair placed their things in the closest room.   
  
"He was hitting on you," Numair accused. Daine snorted, but Numair could tell she was pleased.   
  
"He was not," She said with her back to him, unable to keep the smile out of her voice.   
  
"Whatever you say," he sighed. If he does it again Kaddar Jr. will be missing.   
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Daine sighed inwardly when she remembered all the great banquets she was in for. She didn't mind them much, but because of her love for animals, there was not much she could eat. I'm practically a vegetarian.  
  
When the bell tolled the sixth hour Daine figured it was time to get ready. She donned a light blue muslin dress and an overcoat of a midnight blue.(Same outfit on the cover of EM, diff colors) She blushed when Numair whistled his appreciation as he saw her. He commented that blue was her color, as he and Alanna had told her many times before.   
  
Daine noticed Kaddar sitting on his throne at the head of the banquet hall. He had on less jewelry than Ozorne used to wear, wearing only the protective gems his mother had given him. His eyes were heavily lined with silver, giving them a very snakelike appearance. He searched the room and stood up when he saw Daine.   
  
He rushed over and smiled at her, ignoring Numair. Numair grabbed her hand protectively, but Kaddar chose to ignore his antics.  
  
"I managed to free up a spot at the head of the table where the awfully boring dignitaries usually sit. Come on. I'll show you." He grabbed her free arm and tugged gently, breaking Numair's grip on her other hand. Numair felt rather odd being left in the dust as he led Daine away saying, "You look simply ravishing tonight, Daine." Numair saw Daine glance back once, but she searched the crowd as if she couldn't find him amongst the massive amounts of people. By the time he waved, she had turned around and was laughing at something funny Kaddar had said.   
  
Numair scowled and found a seat at the far end of the table. When he looked for Daine, he saw her sitting at the very head of the table next to Kaddar, in the seat his queen would occupy when he found one. His scowl deepened when he saw Kaddar's hand linger on Daine's arm a second too long. Daine smiled weakly and Numair saw her search the room again. Her eyes came to rest on his, and she smiled apologetically, noticing his scowl. She turned and said something to Kaddar, who spoke to the noble sitting to the left of Daine. The noble smiled and stood up, and Daine beckoned to Numair. He reluctantly stood and walked to the head of the table, settling into the chair they had opened for him.   
  
"I'm so sorry about that. I forgot I needed two places," Kaddar cooed, his smile fake.  
  
"It's alright. No harm done," Numair replied, his smile equally false.   
  
It was Daine's turn to scowl when a mage took her place next to Numair. His eyes lit with recignition. "Marianne!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Arram?" the woman called Marianne asked, "Is that you?"  
  
"Well, yes, but its Numair now.   
  
"I can't believe this! It's great to see you!" Numair spent the entire banquet catching up with Marianne, as Kaddar pleaded with Daine as to try the antelope steaks. He could only eat what she ate, which was not much. After the meal everyone was ushered into another room for dancing. Daine spent most of her time sitting on a couch talking to Kaddar while Numair danced with Marianne.   
  
Though he was dancing with his old friend, Numair was thinking of nothing but Daine and the way Kaddar was looking at her. Some of the other young men were also trying to catch her eye. They seem to know her. They must be the boys she told me about last time. The ones she beat at archery. Daine waved when she noticed of them and the whole lot of them instantly pulled up chairs to sit near her. Ack, she's flirting back!  
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Daine searched the room and found Numair sitting on a couch across the room. She excused herself from her friends and made her way across the room.   
  
"Numair?" she asked quietly.   
  
He looked up into her eyes and grumbled, "Well great. You managed to tear yourself away from your admirers."  
  
"It wouldn't have made any difference if I hadn't talked to them. You were too busy dancing with Marianne.   
  
"She's just an old friend."  
  
"And they are just friends!"  
  
"We shouldn't feel that we have to spend every waking moment together."  
  
"I agree."  
  
"Tired?" he asked.   
  
"Yeah," she admitted. "Off to bed then?"  
  
Numair nodded and stood up. They left the room together and Numair turned to look at Kaddar. He was glaring daggers at Numair. He doesn't stand a chance.  
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	2. Things heat up

Whew…it's been over a year since I have updated anything!  I really don't know what happened, I think I wanted to take a break and that break ended up lasting the entire summer.  Then school started up and Crew started eating up all of my time and here I am now!  I under scheduled this summer, so I have some time on my hands and I thought now was a good time to finally post a new chapter!  I hope it's better than the last one; I have been trying to improve my writing skills.   OOPS!  I forgot Kit last time!  Well, pretend she was there; I just didn't talk about her. 

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The next morning, Numair gently shook Daine to wake her.  He explained that Marianne wanted to meet them for breakfast.  Daine dressed and woke Kitten, who would also be coming along.  The dragon first trilled in irritation, but was soon satisfied with the prospect of seeing new things.  The trio set out for the private room Marianne had requested they meet at.

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"There you are Numair.  I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you."  Marianne stood at the door of the small room.  Her gaze turned to Daine. "You must be Numair's student."

Daine opened her mouth to disagree but Marianne had turned around and led the way into the room.  A round table sat in the center of the floor and was covered in a pale blue cloth.  Three sets of dishes and utensils were set on the table and a small vase of red flowers sat in the center.  Daine noticed a door on the opposite side of the room from the door they had entered through, no doubt concealing a passageway to the kitchen.  

Marianne gestured for her companions to seat themselves, and took her own seat once they had done so.  She rang a small metal bell that had been sitting next to her plate and the door Daine had noticed earlier swung open, revealing a slave carrying a silver tray.  Once they had all been served, Marianne once again looked to Daine.

"How are things with your magic going, dear?"  She sounded almost patronizing.  "I'm sure things don't get out of control like they did during your last visit."

Daine was only momentarily shocked.  Most people in the north were pleased with the goings on of her last visit, and she had almost forgotten that people in Carthak might disagree.  "Everything was completely under control.  Everything I did was completely intentional."  Daine smiled sweetly.

Marianne voiced a murmur that could only convey disagreement.  "You meant to completely vandalize the palace, causing the empire years of repair?"  

Numair cleared his throat when he saw the look on Daine's face.  He wanted to avoid an all out war between the two women.  "Particularly nice weather we've been having."  He sent a warning glare Daine's way, only causing her to become angrier.  She chose to remain silent, and would talk to Numair about this later.  

Marianne smiled as if nothing had happened.  "Yes.  It usually is much more humid this time of year.  It's actually quite pleasant."

The rest of the meal was rather uneventful.  It seemed that Marianne and Daine had decided not to talk to each other, and both directed the majority of their comments to Numair.  When she was finished eating, Daine stood.

"I'm going to leave you two to reacquaint yourselves."  She turned to Numair.  "I'll see you later, I suppose."  

"Goodbye, child," Marianne said dismissively.  

"Yes, I'll talk to you later." Numair replied, smiling slightly.

Daine walked out the door and down the corridor, breathing deeply to calm herself.  Kitten marched after her, obviously upset at what had happened.  The Wildmage headed toward the archery fields, knowing what would rid her of this tension. 

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Numair later found Daine at the archery range, talking with the same boys from the banquet the night before.  He suppressed feelings of jealousy and walked over to her, putting a protective arm around her shoulders.  She smiled up at him, and he noted with satisfaction the angry looks on the young men's faces.  He knew exactly what they were thinking.  They thought he was too old for her and that he was taking advantage of her.  Of course, they assumed that he would be done with her as soon as he had gotten his way with her.  Both Daine and Numair knew that this wasn't true, but it didn't stop people from thinking these things.  

"I need to talk to you," Numair whispered to Daine once the young men had returned to practicing, each trying to over shine the others.  "Can we go back to the room?"

"Sure," was Daine's hushed reply.  They bid the boys goodbye and headed back into the palace to their room.  Once inside, Daine sat on the bed while Numair continued to stand.

"Your behavior was incredibly rude at breakfast this morning," Numair scolded.  

Daine's large eyes widened.  "What was I supposed to do?  You heard what she was saying to me.  It's not like I brought it up."

"I can't imagine what you would have said, had I not stopped you."  

"Nothing I said could have been worse than what that—" Daine struggled for a moment for the right word, "pig."

"_Daine!  _Do not say such things of people you barely know!"

Daine rolled her eyes.  "Go ahead.  Defend her.  You didn't defend me this morning when she was insulting me.  It's not like she knows me any better than I know her."

"You're obviously impossible to talk to right now."  Numair shook his head and smiled slightly, making Daine feel like a misbehaving child.  

"Very well then.  Since you don't want to be around me, I'll go sleep in the other room Kaddar had for us.  Have a nice evening!"  Daine gathered the things she would need for the evening and headed out the door in search of Kaddar.  Kit trailed after and chirped rudely at Numair, who through the whole ordeal was leaning his tall frame against the wall near the dressing table, amusement clear on his face.  

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Daine found Kaddar in the throne room, milling over some papers.  When she entered he smiled, but his grin faded when he saw the look on her face and the items in her arms.  "What's going on?"

"Is the room you had for me when I got here still empty?" Daine sank into the chair that usually was reserved for Kaddar's advisor.  Kaddar smiled briefly, wondering what dear old Rasor would say if he saw her sitting in _his _chair.  

"Of course.  Do you want to tell me what happened?  You look upset," Kaddar placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  Soon the entire story had poured out, and even Daine herself was surprised that she had told everything to the young emperor.  

Kaddar voiced his disapproval of Numair's behavior.  "He just smiled when you left?"

"Yes.  That's the worst part.  He made me feel like a child.  That's probably all he sees me as.  A child.  Did you know that he's 14 years older than me?  _14!"_

"But that's never bothered you before, has it?  Why should it bother you now?"

"I don't know.  It's all so confusing.  I think I'd like to go to bed now; I'm beginning to get a headache." Furrowing her brow, Daine stood and gathered up the possessions that had been set on the table during her conversation with Kaddar.  Kaddar rose and insisted on carrying some of her things.  Too tired to argue, she complied and followed Kaddar to the room he had shown her the day before.   

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I hope you liked it!  It's not very long, but I'm just posting it to see how the feedback is to see if I will continue.  Please review!

Also, if you like Newsies, it would be really cool if you would go take a look at my story, Fly Me to The Moon.  It started out co-written with Mads, but she abandoned me and now it's just me!  It's under the pen name Mads and Alex.  Please go check it out!


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